Puzzle or game



J. ANTIGA Y ESCOBAR. PUZZLE OR GAME. APPLICATION FILED JULY 30,1920.

1,368,425. 1 Patented Feb. 15,1921.

1256/17 1 Es'caZar UNITED STATES JUAN ANTIGA y ESGOBAR, or HABANA, was,

PUZZ E 03 GAME.

Specification of LettersPatent.

PatentedFeb.15, 1921.

Application filed July 30, 1920. SeriaTNo; 400,081.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JUAN ANTIGA Y ESCOBAR, acitizen of the Republic of Cuba, residing at Habana, Cuba, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Puzzles or Games, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in puzzles or games.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this character inwhich one or several small spheres, balls, beads, or the like, are to beconveyed, through proper manipulation of the device itself, to a certainpoint of a plate, and that the path through which these balls, beads, orthe like, must travel is a tortuous one.

The provision of this tortuous path renders the travel of the terminalpoint dificult, and this diiiiculty is enhanced'by providing one or moreobstacles in the path of the beads, balls, and the like, which obstaclesmust be avoided and owing to the provision of which the beads, balls, orthe like, have a tendency to roll back to the starting point or toanother point of their travel.

With these and other objects in view, an

embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawingand described in the following specification.

In the drawing: 7

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device, and

Fig. 2 is a central sectional view through the same.

A short cylindrical member 1,preferably made of sheet metal so as toconstitute a band,has reinforcing flanges 2 at its upper edge andsimilar flanges 3 at its lower edge. The bottom flanges 3 serve forsupporting a thin bottom plate 4, also preferably made of sheet metal,while a cover of glass 5 is mounted on the upper reinforcing flanges 2.

The bottom 4: supports a plate or ring 6 made of a suitable compositionor of a cast metal, which is concentrically disposed with respect to theannular member 1, whereby an annular interspace 7 is left between thewhich are not in alinement with each other,

plate 6 and said annular member. A number of parallel and other wallsextend from the circumference of the plate 6 inwardly or traverse thering, leaving thereby interspace between these walls, which interspaceserves as tracks for the travel of balls, beads, or the like. The ring 6is provided on its circumferenoe with a gap 8 which communicates withthe annular interspace 7, as indicated at 7. Short partition walls 9project from the traversing walls of the ring inwardly to partlyobstruct the tracks between said walls and thereby converting thesetracks into tortuous paths having a plurality of pockets, the confiningmembers of which are disposed at right angles relative to each other, asshown. The symmetry of these confinin members or obstructions isentirely avoide so that the ring 6, combined with the traversing wallsand obstructions projecting from said traversing walls, constitute alabyrinth which will make it difficult to drive any small rollingmember, like a ball or head, which enters the ring at 8, through thevarious passages to a predetermined point of the labyrinth.

It will also be noted that the track formed by the walls and projectingobstructions has a different width at different parts, and that at theends of these obstructions this track is narrow, as indicated at 10, toform gates through which the rolling elements must be conducted. Thetraversing walls themselves are also provided with gaps 13 andobstructions project in direction toward said gaps or gates 13 and 14 soas to make the passage of the balls 11 through these gaps difficult andimparting to the rolling members a tendency to impact against theobstructions and to roll back through the gaps. The end point of thelabyrinth may be indicated at 12 and the object of the player must be todrive through suitable manipulation,

tilting or shaking .of the device, one or several balls from theentrance opening 7 to the terminal pocket 12.

Iclaim:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of asupporting plate, a ring memberv resting on said supporting plate andprovided with a gap, a plurality of traversing walls extending from onepoint of the circumference-of the ring toward another point thereof,said traversing wall portions being provided with gaps other wallportions projecting from the points of circumference of the ring memberinwardly, and obstructing extensions projecting from said wall portionsunder different angles toward other wall portions.

2. Ina device of the character described,"

the combination of a bottom plate, a ring member supported thereon,. atransparent cover plate, said ring member havingfa gap in itscircumferenceflvall portions traversing the interior oi saidring memberand extending from one polnt of the circumference to ward another pointthereof, said well aortions being provided Withgaps outof a ne- V 2 V1,ses,42$

ment Witheach other, other aHportio'ns eX- 10 traversing wall portions,some ofsaid 0b- 15 structions being in opposition to said gaps. InWitness whereof I aifix my signature.

JUAN ANTIGA Y ESCOBAR.

